Now Adonijah son of Haggith went to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, and she asked, "Do you come in peace?" "Yes, in peace," he replied. Now Adonijah son of HaggithAdonijah, whose name means "my Lord is Yahweh," was the fourth son of King David, born to Haggith. His account is a cautionary tale of ambition and the consequences of attempting to usurp God's chosen leader. Historically, Adonijah's actions reflect the turbulent succession politics of ancient Israel, where the throne was often contested. His approach to Bathsheba, Solomon's mother, is significant as it shows his continued influence and ambition even after Solomon's ascension. went to Bathsheba
Bathsheba, the mother of Solomon, holds a prominent place in the Davidic narrative. Her role as queen mother (Gebirah) was influential in the royal court, a position of power and respect. Adonijah's decision to approach her indicates his recognition of her influence over Solomon. This encounter is a strategic move, reflecting the complex dynamics of court politics in ancient Israel. the mother of Solomon
Solomon, whose name means "peaceful," was the son of David and Bathsheba, chosen by God to succeed David as king. Bathsheba's identity as Solomon's mother underscores her importance in the royal lineage and her potential role as an intercessor. This phrase highlights the fulfillment of God's promise to David that his lineage would continue through Solomon, emphasizing the divine orchestration of leadership. 'Do you come in peace?' she asked
Bathsheba's question reflects the tension and suspicion that characterized the royal court after Solomon's accession. The Hebrew word for peace, "shalom," implies not just the absence of conflict but also wholeness and harmony. Her inquiry suggests a cautious approach, aware of Adonijah's previous attempt to claim the throne. It underscores the need for discernment and wisdom in navigating political alliances and enmities. 'Yes, in peace,' he replied
Adonijah's response, affirming his peaceful intentions, is laden with irony and potential duplicity. His assurance of peace may be seen as an attempt to mask ulterior motives, given his history of ambition. This exchange highlights the theme of trust and betrayal, a recurring motif in the narratives of Israel's monarchy. It serves as a reminder of the importance of integrity and the dangers of deceit in leadership and relationships. Persons / Places / Events 1. AdonijahThe son of King David and Haggith, Adonijah was a contender for the throne of Israel. His actions and ambitions are central to the early chapters of 1 Kings, where he attempts to establish himself as king before Solomon is anointed. 2. BathshebaThe mother of Solomon and the widow of King David. Bathsheba plays a significant role in the transition of power to Solomon, and her interactions with Adonijah are crucial in understanding the political dynamics of the time. 3. SolomonThe son of David and Bathsheba, Solomon is the newly anointed king of Israel. His reign is marked by wisdom and prosperity, but also by complex family and political challenges. 4. HaggithOne of David's wives and the mother of Adonijah. Her son’s ambitions and actions are a source of tension in the royal family. 5. JerusalemThe capital city of Israel and the center of political and religious life during the reigns of David and Solomon. Teaching Points The Importance of DiscernmentBathsheba's question, "Do you come in peace?" highlights the need for discernment in relationships and interactions. In our lives, we must seek wisdom to discern the intentions of others. The Role of Family DynamicsThe interactions between Adonijah, Bathsheba, and Solomon illustrate the complexities of family relationships and the impact they can have on leadership and decision-making. Seeking Peace in ConflictAdonijah's response, "Yes, in peace," reminds us of the biblical call to pursue peace, even amidst potential conflict. As believers, we are encouraged to be peacemakers in our communities. Understanding Authority and SubmissionThe passage underscores the importance of recognizing and respecting God-ordained authority, as seen in Solomon's rightful place as king. The Consequences of AmbitionAdonijah's account serves as a cautionary tale about unchecked ambition and the importance of aligning our desires with God's will. Bible Study Questions 1. How does Bathsheba's question to Adonijah reflect the need for discernment in our own lives, and how can we cultivate this discernment through prayer and scripture? 2. In what ways do the family dynamics in this passage mirror challenges we face in our own families, and how can we apply biblical principles to navigate these challenges? 3. How does the theme of seeking peace in this passage relate to Jesus' teachings in the New Testament, and how can we be peacemakers in our daily interactions? 4. What lessons can we learn from Adonijah's ambition about the importance of aligning our goals with God's will, and how can we ensure our ambitions honor God? 5. How does the concept of authority and submission in this passage connect to other biblical teachings on leadership, and how can we apply these principles in our roles at work, church, or home? Connections to Other Scriptures 1 Kings 1Provides the background to Adonijah's initial attempt to claim the throne and the subsequent anointing of Solomon as king, setting the stage for the events in 1 Kings 2:13. 2 Samuel 15-18The account of Absalom's rebellion against David, which parallels Adonijah's ambition and highlights the recurring theme of familial strife in David's lineage. Proverbs 1:8-9Written by Solomon, these verses emphasize the importance of heeding parental wisdom, which can be seen in the way Solomon navigates the challenges posed by Adonijah. People Abiathar, Abishag, Abner, Absalom, Achish, Adonijah, Amasa, Anathoth, Barzillai, Bathsheba, Benaiah, David, Eli, Gera, Haggith, Jehoiada, Jether, Joab, Maacah, Maachah, Ner, Shimei, Solomon, Zadok, ZeruiahPlaces Anathoth, Bahurim, Gath, Hebron, Jerusalem, Jordan River, Kidron, Mahanaim, ShilohTopics Adonijah, Adoni'jah, Bathsheba, Bath-sheba, Bathshe'ba, Comest, Haggith, Peace, Peaceably, Peacefully, Solomon, Solomon's, YesDictionary of Bible Themes 1 Kings 2:12-25 5119 Solomon, life of Library The Horns of the Altar
WE MUST tell you the story. Solomon was to be the king after David, but his elder brother, Adonijah, was preferred by Joab, the captain of the host, and by Abiathar, the priest; and, therefore, they got together, and tried to steal a march upon dying David, and set up Adonijah. They utterly failed in this; and when Solomn came to the throne Adonijah was afraid for his life, and fled to the horns of the altar at the tabernacle for shelter. Solomn permitted him to find sanctuary there, and forgave …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 31: 1885"He Ascended into Heaven:" Believe. "He Sitteth at the Right Hand of the Father...
11. "He ascended into heaven:" believe. "He sitteth at the right hand of the Father:" believe. By sitting, understand dwelling: as [in Latin] we say of any person, "In that country he dwelt (sedit) three years." The Scripture also has that expression, that such an one dwelt (sedisse) in a city for such a time. [1791] Not meaning that he sat and never rose up? On this account the dwellings of men are called seats (sedes). [1792] Where people are seated (in this sense), are they always sitting? Is …
St. Augustine—On the Creeds Whether Curiosity Can be About Intellective Knowledge?
Objection 1: It would seem that curiosity cannot be about intellective knowledge. Because, according to the Philosopher (Ethic. ii, 6), there can be no mean and extremes in things which are essentially good. Now intellective knowledge is essentially good: because man's perfection would seem to consist in his intellect being reduced from potentiality to act, and this is done by the knowledge of truth. For Dionysius says (Div. Nom. iv) that "the good of the human soul is to be in accordance with reason," …
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica Whether the Angels have Bodies Naturally United to Them?
Objection 1: It would seem that angels have bodies naturally united to them. For Origen says (Peri Archon i): "It is God's attribute alone---that is, it belongs to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, as a property of nature, that He is understood to exist without any material substance and without any companionship of corporeal addition." Bernard likewise says (Hom. vi. super Cant.): "Let us assign incorporeity to God alone even as we do immortality, whose nature alone, neither for its own sake …
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica Whether the Natural Law Can be Changed?
Objection 1: It would seem that the natural law can be changed. Because on Ecclus. 17:9, "He gave them instructions, and the law of life," the gloss says: "He wished the law of the letter to be written, in order to correct the law of nature." But that which is corrected is changed. Therefore the natural law can be changed. Objection 2: Further, the slaying of the innocent, adultery, and theft are against the natural law. But we find these things changed by God: as when God commanded Abraham to slay …
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica The Whole Heart
LET me give the principal passages in which the words "the whole heart," "all the heart," are used. A careful study of them will show how wholehearted love and service is what God has always asked, because He can, in the very nature of things, ask nothing less. The prayerful and believing acceptance of the words will waken the assurance that such wholehearted love and service is exactly the blessing the New Covenant was meant to make possible. That assurance will prepare us for turning to the Omnipotence …
Andrew Murray—The Two Covenants "The King Kissed Barzillai. " 2 Sam. xix. 39
And no wonder, for David could appreciate a real man when he saw him, and so does David's Lord. I.--LOYALTY IS PRECIOUS TO THE KING OF KINGS. In the days when the son of Jesse had but few friends, it was a precious thing to be treated in the style Barzillai and his neighbours entertained him (see 2 Sam. xvii. 27-29). They were rich farmers, and had land which brought forth with abundance, so were able to act with princely hospitality to the fugitive monarch. But plenty may live with avarice, and …
Thomas Champness—Broken Bread What Manner of Man Ought not to Come to Rule.
Wherefore let every one measure himself wisely, lest he venture to assume a place of rule, while in himself vice still reigns unto condemnation; lest one whom his own guilt depraves desire to become an intercessor for the faults of others. For on this account it is said to Moses by the supernal voice, Speak unto Aaron; Whosoever he be of thy seed throughout their generations that hath a blemish, he shall not offer loaves of bread to the Lord his God (Lev. xxi. 17). And it is also immediately subjoined; …
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great Authorship of the Pentateuch.
The term Pentateuch is composed of the two Greek words, pente, five, and teuchos, which in later Alexandrine usage signified book. It denotes, therefore, the collection of five books; or, the five books of the law considered as a whole. 1. In our inquiries respecting the authorship of the Pentateuch, we begin with the undisputed fact that it existed in its present form in the days of Christ and his apostles, and had so existed from the time of Ezra. When the translators of the Greek version, …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible Barzillai
BY REV. GEORGE MILLIGAN, M.A., D.D. "There is nothing," says Socrates to Cephalus in the Republic, "I like better than conversing with aged men. For I regard them as travellers who have gone a journey which I too may have to go, and of whom it is right to learn the character of the way, whether it is rugged or difficult, or smooth and easy" (p. 328 E.). It is to such an aged traveller that we are introduced in the person of Barzillai the Gileadite. And though he is one of the lesser-known characters …
George Milligan—Men of the Bible; Some Lesser-Known Fifth Sunday after Trinity Exhortation to the Fruits of Faith.
Text: 1 Peter 3, 8-15. 8 Finally, be ye all like-minded, compassionate, loving as brethren, tender-hearted, humble-minded: 9 not rendering evil for evil, or reviling for reviling; but contrariwise blessing; for hereunto were ye called, that ye should inherit a blessing. 10 For, He that would love life, And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips that they speak no guile: 11 And let him turn away from evil, and do good; Let him seek peace, and pursue it. 12 For the eyes of …
Martin Luther—Epistle Sermons, Vol. III Kings
The book[1] of Kings is strikingly unlike any modern historical narrative. Its comparative brevity, its curious perspective, and-with some brilliant exceptions--its relative monotony, are obvious to the most cursory perusal, and to understand these things is, in large measure, to understand the book. It covers a period of no less than four centuries. Beginning with the death of David and the accession of Solomon (1 Kings i., ii.) it traverses his reign with considerable fulness (1 Kings iii.-xi.), …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links 1 Kings 2:13 NIV1 Kings 2:13 NLT1 Kings 2:13 ESV1 Kings 2:13 NASB1 Kings 2:13 KJV
1 Kings 2:13 Commentaries
Bible Hub |
